North Korea warns of ‘military options’ over Japan rearmament

International

2026-08-062026-08-06By Correspondent

SEOUL – The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused Japan yesterday of “transformation into a war state” as Tokyo beefs up its military stance in the Pacific. Japan has been gradually moving away from its post-World War II pacifist status, increasing military spending, ramping up defence pacts and deploying missile launchers to its outer islands.

Tokyo’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday the military needs to be boosted with a “sense of urgency and crisis”, as a new government assessment warned of growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea.